This was the first time I used my broiler in this particular oven, and I have a feeling that it wasn’t fully heated when I put the salmon in. The result was that the top of the salmon cooked way faster than the rest; the top was already cooked while the middle was still raw. Ultimately, the salmon turned out EXTREMELY dried out, right down to the mustardy spread on top. The mustard practically browned in the same way cheese would while baking in the oven (good for pizza, not for fish). In all fairness, the actual flavor of the topping was very good.

Random side note: how in the world is one supposed to chop fresh thyme without the sprigs getting in the way? The thyme was not like rosemary where the herbs just fell right off. This step was beyond frustrating for an already doomed meal.

To make matters even worse, I made this with lemon green beans and shallots (idea from Two Peas & Their Pod blog). Seriously, this side includes three ingredients- how did I screw this up? I’ll tell you how: I used the amount of lemon called for in cooking the whole recipe even though I reduced the serving size drastically. The result was overly lemony, under shallot-ed green beans. Fail.

The best part of this meal was contributed by good ol’ Uncle Ben. Seriously, Uncle Bens instant brown rice and quiona mix with garlic is very tasty. I highly recommed it for a healthy grain dish in a pinch.

And that is the sad truth- the best I can offer you from this meal is a thumbs up to Uncle Ben’s brown rice and quinoa mix.

Giada’s salmon may be worth a shot if you are confident in your broilers ability to work. After tonight’s experience though, I think I will stick to grilling and baking my salmon instead. While the mustard sauce was really good, it didn’t measure up to the simple blackening mix I usually use, which happens to be way less complicated.

Tonights adventures were a disappointment on all fronts. I am sure the problem rests with me and/or my appliances so if any of you try out these recipes and have success, please let me know!

Since this post is filled with enough negativity already, I will save my rant about what happens when you try out a new workout and hate it for another day. Also, to lighten up the mood a little, I have included a picture of my incredibly cute dog, Macy. I always say she looks like a little burrito when she’s nestled in my covers like this, so technically she does belong in a blog post about food :)